ZAMBOANGA CITY – The major roles of the Bangsamoro youth in promoting peace and community development were highlighted in this year’s culmination celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace in the region.
Bangsamoro Youth Commission Chairperson Marjanie Macasalong cited the youth as “valuable innovators and active agents of positive change, and the Bangsamoro youth as having a big contribution to the Bangsamoro struggle.
“Young people played an important role in the Bangsamoro peace process, and they continue to play an important role in safeguarding this peace,” she said.
The culmination activity carried the theme “Zooming-in on the Bangsamoro Peace Narratives”, and was held on Thursday, December 3, at the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City.
It showcased inspiring stories of selected youth peace advocates and leaders in different fields of governance, education, active citizenship, environment, health, and peacebuilding.
Al-fatah Abdullah, who himself experienced the hardships of being in the middle of a “rido” or family feud, led a campaign, pushing to end to that kind of conflict in their community.
“Retaliation is not, and will never be the solution,” Abdullah claimed.
Faced with numerous cases of “rido” in their community, he engaged his fellow youth to resonate acts of peace and sort to peaceful negotiations through their “RIDOnt for Lasting Kamapiyaan” campaign.
Each year, the Mindanao Week of Peace is being celebrated throughout Mindanao from the last Thursday of November until the first Wednesday of December.
This celebration was simultaneously commemorated in Mindanao with local peace advocates and youth in taking part in building a culture of peace in the island.
The BYC led the program, together with Positive Volunteers’ Initiatives in Bridging and Empowering Society (VIBES), and Alliance of Magnanimous Youth Leaders (AMYL).